INTERACTION

Lois Tilton's review at Locus Online:

http://www.locusmag.com/Reviews/#iz201004

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A video review here with high praise for Andy though he does not get a namecheck.
Thanks Montsamu

Reviews of IZ #227 by

Anthony Williams

http://sciencefictionfantasy.blogspot.c ... e-227.html

and Dan Powell

http://www.danpowellfiction.com/2010/04 ... 54-60.html

and an English language review from Russian reader Ray Garraty and here in Russian plus on live journal
Chance of spoilers with some comments.

I finally got round to reading this issue - some great stories here. Highlights for me were 'Dance of the Kawkawroons' (nice twist!), the melancholy feel of 'Flying in the Face of God' and the delightfully strange 'The Glare and the Glow'.

I really enjoyed 'Johnny's New Job' as well, even though it disconcertingly turned out to be treading similar territory to the (unsuccesful) entry for the Campaign For Real Fear competition I'd written a couple of weeks ago - albeit longer, funnier and doubtless better!

On the subject of 'Chimbwi' though - what excactly does a 'vast orchestra of string-less violins' sound like?

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My fiction

John Cage's "4'33", or possibly rap music

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http://trumpetville.wordpress.com
http://ttapress.com/blackstatic/casenotesblog/

Exciting news: I saw three copies of IZ227 in a local Barnes and Noble bookstore, which is the first time I've seen them in a U.S. store in over two years. The issues carried a $7.50 price tag, which was similar to the other SF/F magazines nearby (such as Realms of Fantasy, with a $6.99 price tag). That price is much better than the last time I saw the issues in the U.S., when they were priced at $12.00.

Thanks Jason, that's interesting news and the first report from the distant 'wild'. $7.50 is very reasonable, equivalent to approx £5.00.

Where was the store and, if you are in again in the near future, please let us know if the quantity has reduced.

It was a Barnes and Noble in Columbus, Ohio. And there were only two issues left when I stopped by the store today.

Thanks Jason.

Thanks for posting; sorry I didn't namecheck Andy. I feared trying to be too familiar with somebody with whom I have never even corresponded.

Anyway, I love, love, LOVE so much of the interior layout in #227. The use of color is really coming along, the circle illustrations on page 6/8/10, the awesome art on page 13 and 18, the really cool horizontal bits of color/art on pages 20/21/23/24/26. Pages 28/29 were awesome, same with 42-43, particularly the "GLOW" on "GLOW" on 43. Wow. Some things didn't work so well for me, the cover layout to me is a step back, the red and blue horizontal sections really detract from it for me. The quote boxes on pages 14/16 didn't work for me, either, neither those on 31/33/35/37. Still, the color in the interior is really popping out all over, the book and movie reviews of course bearing a change reminiscent of the color coming on in The Wizard of Oz. (OK, maybe a little hyperbole at the end, there.)

Imagination.

Extremely positive review of IZ227 on Tangent.

"What excactly does a 'vast orchestra of string-less violins' sound like?"

Ok - fair enough! - getting the exact simile or metaphor can be a bit challenging. The background to Chimbwi comes out of the four years I spent teaching in an isolated school in the Northern Province of Zambia. Just one big fat cicada sitting outside the house making its scratching squeak can drive you insane. They are buggers to find, because they go silent when you're close. If you do find one they're very good at jumping before you can stamp on them.

So get a thousand people with violins, rip the strings off, put lots of rosin on the bows, and let them scrape away on the body. I must confess that I haven't tried this, and humbly submit to the possibility that string-less violins may not sound like cicadas at all!

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Jim